Commercial Service Airport Employment 176,075 119,839 295,914
General Aviation Airport Employment 4,385 4,163 8,548
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT 180,460 124,002 304,462
Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers
Payroll Impacts
Employment linked to study airports results in a significant annual payroll benefit to the Commonwealth’s economy. Payroll impacts relate to the previously identified employment associated with on-airport businesses and their activities, off-airport businesses at
Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International, commercial service visitor spending, and general aviation visitor spending.
Payroll from On-Airport Activity
Table 11 identifies annual payroll impacts associated with on-airport activity at each of the study airports.
Table 11: Pennsylvania On-Airport Activity Payroll
Direct Payroll
Multiplier
Payroll Total Payroll Commercial Service Airports On-Airport Payroll $1,842,487,200 $1,448,800,100 $3,291,287,300 General Aviation Airports On-Airport Payroll $169,492,700 $135,926,100 $305,418,800 TOTAL ON-AIRPORT ACTIVITY PAYROLL $2,011,979,900 $1,584,726,200 $3,596,706,100 Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers
Payroll supported by airport construction projects and on-airport payroll from the
Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and U.S. Marine Corps at Harrisburg International and John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airports are also included.
This study shows that direct annual payroll impacts are over $2.0 billion. This payroll impact ripples throughout the Pennsylvania economy, creating multiplier payroll impacts that can be measured through the IMPLAN model. The multiplier annual payroll impact related to on-airport tenants and businesses at the study on-airports, estimated through the IMPLAN multipliers, is approximately $1.6 billion. Total payroll impacts produced by airports, which include direct and multiplier annual payroll, are approximately $3.6 billion annually.
Payroll from Off-Airport Businesses at PHL and PIT
Table 12 identifies the annual payroll impact attributed to off-airport aviation-related
businesses such as off-site airline offices, freight forwarders, warehouses, and airport parking lots at Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International.
Table 12: Pennsylvania Payroll from Off-Airport Businesses at PHL and PIT
Direct Payroll
Multiplier
Payroll Total Payroll Off-Airport Payroll $125,331,000 $116,046,600 $241,377,600 Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers
This study shows that direct annual payroll impacts are over $125.3 million. This payroll impact ripples throughout the Pennsylvania economy, creating multiplier payroll impacts that can be measured through the IMPLAN model. The multiplier annual payroll impact related to off-airport businesses at Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International, estimated through the IMPLAN multipliers, is approximately $116.0 million. Total payroll impacts
produced by the off-airport businesses, which include direct and multiplier annual payroll, are approximately $241.4 million annually.
Payroll from Commercial Service Visitor Spending
Table 13 identifies the annual payroll impact attributed to employees whose jobs are supported by spending by commercial service visitors using the study airports.
Table 13: Pennsylvania Annual Payroll from Commercial Service Visitor Spending
Direct Payroll
Multiplier
Payroll Total Payroll Commercial Service Visitor Payroll $2,849,497,600 $2,426,095,100 $5,275,592,700 Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers
Direct payroll consists of wages and benefits paid to employees working at restaurants, hotels/motels, retail businesses, and other service industries that are used by commercial service visitors. Direct annual payroll attributable to spending by commercial service visitors is estimated at almost $2.8 billion.
As employees in the service industries spend their earnings, the money continues to circulate in Pennsylvania, generating additional employment and subsequent payroll. Annual multiplier payroll impacts associated with commercial service visitor-supported employment are
estimated at over $2.4 billion. When direct and multiplier annual payroll impacts stemming from commercial service visitor spending in Pennsylvania are combined, a total annual payroll impact of nearly $5.3 billion is produced.
Payroll from General Aviation Visitor Spending
Table 14 identifies the payroll impacts attributed to spending by visitors using general aviation to reach Pennsylvania.
Table 14: Pennsylvania Annual Payroll from General Aviation Visitor Spending
Direct Payroll
Multiplier
Payroll Total Payroll Commercial Service Airport Payroll $10,761,700 $9,465,000 $20,226,700 General Aviation Airport
Payroll $18,221,800 $16,051,200 $34,273,000
TOTAL GENERAL AVIATION VISITOR PAYROLL $28,983,500 $25,516,200 $54,499,700 Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers
Direct payroll includes salaries paid to employees working in visitor-related businesses and other service industries that are utilized by general aviation visitors. Direct annual payroll attributable to spending by general aviation visitors is estimated at approximately $29.0 million.
As employees in the visitor-related industries spend their payroll, this spending continues to circulate, generating additional employment and subsequent payroll. The multiplier annual payroll impact associated with general aviation visitor spending is estimated at approximately
$25.5 million. When direct and multiplier payroll impacts stemming from general aviation visitor spending are combined, a total payroll impact of approximately $54.5 million is produced.
Total Annual Payroll
The combined impacts of airport businesses/tenants, on-airport activities, off-airport businesses at Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International, commercial service visitor, and general aviation visitor-related payroll in Pennsylvania are identified in Table 15.
The collective direct annual payroll impact supported by the study airports is more than $5.0 billion. With approximately $4.2 billion in multiplier annual payroll impacts, nearly $9.2 billion in total annual payroll is realized in Pennsylvania as a result of on-airport activity associated with the study airports, off-airport businesses at Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International, and visitor spending.
Table 15: Pennsylvania Airports Total Annual Payroll
Total Direct Payroll
Total Multiplier
Payroll Total Payroll Commercial Service Airport Payroll $4,828,077,500 $4,000,406,800 $8,828,484,300 General Aviation Airport Payroll $187,714,500 $151,977,300 $339,691,800 TOTAL PAYROLL $5,015,792,000 $4,152,384,100 $9,168,176,100 Source: Wilbur Smith Associates and IMPLAN multipliers